Stratton's use of language is probably the highlight of The Grave Robber's Apprentice; his sentences are rhythmic and alliterative, and I imagine this book would sound great read aloud. However, I didn't really enjoy the plot that much. Parts of it are very predictable (the mystery of Hans' origins is not hard to solve) and other parts come straight out of nowhere (such as the sudden, random appearance of an Italian circus family). Many of the characters are clichés; I particularly did not care for Angela, the child countess, a girl who certainly is more capable than her completely infantilized parents, but who is still privileged and weak enough that she needs to be saved several times. But there are some good bits and plenty of references to Shakespeare (Stratton grew up in Stratford) to keep you going.

I would say this is for older kids, probably tweens: the plot isn't that complex, but there are some creepy images that younger kids might be disturbed by.